Keller House

KELLER HOUSE – “Lockwood”

The Keller House is a spacious, modified bungalow-style house and an excellent example of the English Craftsman movement. The house and furnishings cost $12,000, $5,000 for the home plus $7,000 for the furnishings.

The charm of the Keller House centers around the lack of modernization. It was one of the first homes in Colville to have electricity, which came to the city in 1903. The Keller House was built in 1910. The Young’s and Keller’s were the only people who lived in the house.

Mrs. Keller’s mother’s maiden name, Lockwood, was the name originally given to the house by its owner:

J.H.”Harry” Young (1854-1914) — Arrived in Colville in 1885 and operated a livery stable and stage line taking supplies to mining camps.

The house was designed by Loren L. Rand of Spokane and built by D.H. Kimble of Colville and was built for Anna, the young bride of Colville businessman Harry Young, when they were married in 1910. It is a craftsman style home characteristic of the era. After the repairs made following the ﬁre in the house shortly after it was built, there have been no changes made. The Keller House is on the National Register of Historic Places with its Carriage House behind it.

The house features over a dozen pieces of Gustov Stickley furniture that was purchased for the house when it was new. Anna’s grand nephew said that the fumiture was bought by Aunt Anna when she went to a World’s Fair. Although a charming story, it is yet to be authenticated. Also original to the house is a 7 piece Bird’s Eye Maple bedroom set that the grand nephew said was in Aunt Anna’s room. The House has hardwood ﬂoors throughout and a music room built to show off Anna’s musical talent.

Anna Helberg Young Keller (1879—1963) — Daughter of a wealthy Spokane family, was an accomplished pianist, having studied at the Ann Arbor Michigan Music Conservatory and in Germany. She graduated from Oberlin College in Ohio.

Harry Young died in 1914 and a year later Anna married Louis Keller, another prominent Colville business man.

Louis G. Keller (1881—1966) — Son of a wealthy Cincinnati, Ohio family, Louis graduated from the Colorado University of Law, however, he never practiced law. Instead, with his father’s backing he opened a hardware store in Colville in 1907. Lou became a leading figure in the growth of Colville, forming the Chamber of Commerce and presiding as it’s first president in 1910.

Anna Keller died in 1963 and Louis died in 1966. He gave his home and grounds to the city to be used as a park.